Evonik to expand specialty silicone capacity in Germany and China

SPECIALTY chemicals group Evonik said it intends to make a triple-digit-million-euro investment toward strengthening its technology platform for specialty silicones in Germany and China, with the intent to gradually increase the production volume of specialty silicones. 

 

The market for specialty silicones continued to grow in recent years. This development is mainly driven by the construction, textile, coating, furniture and appliance industries. 

 

"Evonik is one of the world's leading manufacturers of specialty silicones. With our investment initiative we want to strengthen our position as a technology leader and reach new market opportunities," said Executive Board member and CEO Patrik Wohlhauser. 

 

In in headquarters in Essen, the double-digit-million-euro plant expansion for the production of these special products is ongoing. Increasing the production in Germany is designed to meet the growth of customers in the important European market, Evonik said.

 

Demand for specialty silicones is particularly strong in Asia, where Evonik expects to respond to this positive development by expanding its site in Shanghai with a new production complex for specialty silicones. 

 

Specialty silicones offer an enormous wide range of applications for numerous industries. For example, as additives for plastics, specialty silicones are responsible for comfortable furniture, car seats and ergonomic mattresses. They also play an important role within the formulation of ideal insulation material for building insulation and guarantee of the highest energy efficiency of refrigerators. 

 

The integrated silicone technology platform forms the backbone of significant businesses of the Evonik segments Nutrition & Care (Comfort & Insulation, Interface & Performance and Personal Care) and Resource Efficiency  (Coating Additives). Other areas of application are defoaming agents, used in industries like construction, textile or plastics. Furthermore, specialty silicones are used in coatings and inks.

 

"Optimization and expansion of the global silicone platform will strengthen effectively the position of Evonik as the world leader in specialty silicones. We want to meet the demands of the different markets even better and to accompany the growth of our customers locally. We position ourselves as a long term reliable supplier and partner,”  said Hans-Josef Ritzert, part of the management for the Nutrition & Care segment, which includes the business lines.